Table 1 Content descriptions of the battlebot design course

Week 1

Wheel design briefing, basic laser-cutting of parts, and assembling a battlebot

(1) Explain the difference between the wheel design for a battlebot and a general vehicle (problem definition)

(2) Show students’ various robot design videos (identify need & gather information)

(3) Give students’ worksheets to explain the basic engineering design process (identify need)

(4) Introduce the basic mechanical parts of a battlebot (gather information)

(5) Assemble the basic mechanical parts of a battlebot (gather information)

Weeks 2 & 3

Functional wheel design and 3D printing

(1) Learn the 123Design software (modeling)

(2) Design the wheels of a balloon-piercing battlebot (generate ideas)

(3) Generate 3D drawings (communication)

(4) Learn to operate a 3D printer (modeling)

Week 4

Test of the functional wheels

(1) Assemble and adjust the wheels of a battlebot (modeling)

(2) Test the wheels on flat acrylic ground, a slope, and stairs (feasibility analysis, evaluation, and decision)

(3) Redesign and redraw the wheels (generate ideas and communication)

Week 5

Functional exterior shell design of a battlebot briefing

(1) Explain the objective of the battlebot’s shape design for the balloon piercing battle (problem definition)

(2) Show students various battlebot design videos (identify need and gather information)

(3) Develop design concepts on the worksheet (generate ideas)

Weeks 6 & 7

Functional exterior shell design and 3D printing

(1) Generate various shapes of battlebot shells (generate ideas)

(2) Generate 3D drawings (communication)

(3) 3D print the shaped shells (modeling)

(4) Fit the shell with the mechanical parts (modeling and feasibility analysis)

(5) Test the shells (feasibility analysis, evaluation, and decision)

Week 8

Parts assembly and balloon piercing battle

(1) Assemble and adjust all the parts of a battlebot (modeling and feasibility analysis)

(2) Balloon piercing battle (implementation)